Time's Up
by ChocolateSyrup
Summary: What if RJ never got another chance at getting all the food back?


_So this is an older fic that I found buried in a folder. It takes place just before the animals break into the house for the big heist (but that doesn't happen here ;) I took some dialogue from the movie, but came up with the rest on my own._

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><p>"Time's Up"<p>

"So what's the problem?" Verne asked, getting annoyed. After all, he'd just given the raccoon an option of becoming his family's new leader - and he turned it down?

RJ automatically reached forward and picked up the wad of paper he'd wrinkled - the dreaded paper that was basically counting down all of the meals until it reached _him._

"This, Verne, is the problem," RJ answered. He held it out in front of the turtle. "You see this?"

Verne nodded. "I'm listening."

RJ let out a sigh. Was he really doing this? Admitting that he _had_ been using Verne's family just to solve his own problems? He had a slight idea of how Verne would react.

_It doesn't matter anyway,_ RJ thought with an odd mixture of sadness and fear. _Tomorrow morning I'll be in the stomach of a homicidal bear._

Taking a deep breath, RJ handed the paper to Verne, who looked at it in wonder. "Is this the source of the problem?"

"Yep. It is," the raccoon answered, putting on a brave voice like he didn't care, "why don't you open it."

Verne did as he was told, unfolding the paper until it showed RJ's list of all the food they'd gathered and lost.

"That's all the stuff we stole from the humans," RJ began to explain, "your family said you needed food for the winter, but it was really me who needed it more. Not because of winter, though."

Verne wasn't sure if he liked where this was going or not. Trying to ignore his tingling tail, he shifted to a more comfortable position atop the rock they sitting on and continued listening to RJ, who gulped. He was finally telling the truth.

"I…I needed it all because I have to pay back an angry bear." Verne gasped, eyes widening. He knew his tail had been right about the guy all along - they'd been _betrayed._ RJ covered his face, still speaking. "A _really_ angry bear known as Vincent. He's mad because I tried stealing his food one night while he was hibernating. I accidentally woke him up and destroyed the food he'd gathered by accident, too." He cringed at the memory of the wagon racing down the hill and into the street where it had met its unfavorable end.

Silence overtook RJ's story. Verne just stared at the piece of paper he was holding, but then gave it back to RJ. He had so many things he wanted to yell at the raccoon now that he knew the truth, but he couldn't seem to get rid of the overwhelming shock. Of course his tail had been giving him hints, but somewhere deep down, Verne had hoped that his tail was _wrong._

RJ noticed Verne's expression and grimaced. "Heh, this is kind of useless now," he said, wrinkling up the paper again and throwing it behind his shoulder.

"Why do you say useless?" Verne decided to ask, confused, "don't you need it for the _bear?"_

RJ shook his head, sighing.

"You don't get it, Verne…tonight is my deadline for getting all his food back. We-_I_ don't have the food anymore. It's over." RJ didn't say anything more. Verne's eyes widened when he realized what RJ meant.

"He's going to kill you."

RJ took a deep breath. He didn't need to confirm Verne's statement. He jumped up off of the rock and grabbed his bag, starting to leave. Verne watched his every move.

_Good riddance. Let him go,_ the turtle thought angrily. He hated to think what more could happen to his family if RJ continued to stay.

"I'm sorry for using your family, Verne," RJ suddenly said, turning to leave without looking back, "I understand it was wrong of me to do. I was just scared and wasn't thinking straight, putting them in danger like that to save my own hide. Please tell everyone I'm sorry."

Verne's tail stopped tingling. Every last bit of anger he was keeping bottled up evaporated when he heard RJ's apologetic words. Sure, the ring-tailed thief had put his family in danger more times than he could count. It was a selfish act, but underneath it all there had been a good reason why. Verne put himself in RJ's shoes and it was then that he saw a very different creature behind the mask.

"You know," he said, getting up to stop RJ from going further into the forest, "if you had told us you needed that food to pay back an angry bear, we would have just given it to you."

RJ stopped, turning back around to face Verne. "Really?" He asked, bewildered.

"Yeah," Verne said, "that's what families do. They look out for each other."

RJ shrugged. "I've never really had anything like that."

Verne gave him a gentle smile. "Believe me, it's the gateway to the good life."

RJ couldn't help but laugh. "Really wish you'd told me that sooner."

It was Verne's turn to shrug. "Yeah, well, that's bad communication, also something families do. So what do you say? Do you want to be part of it?"

RJ was shocked and grateful that Verne had even offered; it was the last thing he'd expected from the tentative turtle, especially after spilling the beans. He glanced at the log where everyone was sleeping. He thought of the place they'd made for him with a TV and even a remote.

It wasn't just a place. It was home. A home that he couldn't protect if he chose to stay.

"I wish I could…but Vincent-"

"Is crazy if he wants to _kill_ you over junk food!" Verne interrupted, panic sweeping through him.

"There's nothing I can do, Verne!"

"There's something _we_ can do together. We have to go and talk to him."

RJ almost laughed at the ludicrous idea. "Trust me, there's no talking to Vincent."

"We have to try!"

"No, Verne. I want you to promise me something - don't follow me. It's too dangerous."

"I can't just let you go and get yourself killed!"

"Well, you have to. I'm done putting them all in danger." RJ nodded towards the log, feeling as though his heart was being torn to shreds - not that it mattered.

Verne's eyes brimmed with tears. "But you're a part of my family, too."

RJ's breath cut short, hardly believing his ears. A moment of silence passed and Verne knew that there was no changing the raccoon's mind.

RJ took one step back into the forest, then two. Soon he was gone and Verne was alone with nothing but his anxious thoughts, his tail nearly driving him up the wall as he saw the sun rising.

What was he going to tell the others? They were already mad enough at him as it was, especially for calling Hammy stupid. He needed to do something to make it up to them, but he didn't know what exactly.

Verne sighed and hoped with all his might that somehow, RJ would be okay.


End file.
